A/N: Life is weird. End.

Sorry that this chapter is so late in the day. I had to go to a fun day thing for a little girl at my church who has cancer. So, if you are mad about that... wow.

Sorry everyone that this chapter is taking so long. I am uninspired. I need something! I think you all would much rather wait for a good chapter than get a sucky one sooner. Not saying my writing is good, but, you know...

I JUST SAW HOW MANY VIEWS THIS STORY HAD AND WAS INSPIRED! 32,748! HEHE! HAPPINESS! AND 158 FAVORITES! AND 197 FOLLOWERS (WHATEVER THE HECK THAT MEANS!)

Disclaimer: The Hunger Games are not mine.

A cannon. Another. And another... eleven. Eleven dead for today.

Rue would soon be among them.

The blood kept pouring and pouring from her side. No matter how hard Peeta and I tried, it seemed Rue's death was imminent. We just wouldn't tell her how close to dying she was.

We had left the cave as the Careers and most of the other tributes now knew of our hideout... God, I hate them. I don't feel that I can express that enough.

Rue's whimpering kept me at attention even though I was dead tired. We all were. We just hadn't found a secluded enough place to stay for the night. I knew Peeta must've been worse. He pretended that his leg was fine and he didn't care to help me carry Rue but I could see it was taking its toll on him. But this wasn't The Easy Games. It was The Hunger Games and I was starving for revenge.

"Please," Rue whispered. "Just stop here."

Peeta nodded and I had no choice but to stay.

"They'll find us here," I whispered, holding in a yawn. Rue was already asleep. I looked at Peeta.

"We can leave as soon as it's daylight," Peeta said quietly. "We'll just take shifts watching for them. I'll go first. Go to sleep, Katniss."

If he thought I was going to make him stay awake alone while I slept peacefully, he was awfully mistaken. If anything, I would stay up while he slept.

"No," I answered sleepily. "You need it more. Build up your strength."

He sighed deeply. "Why don't we just both stay awake then? Since you want to be so stubborn."

I smiled at him, not at all taking offense to his comment. He laughed.

"Might as well." I agreed. He scooted closer to me and I automatically leaned my head on his shoulder.

"You're going to win," I yawned. "I promise."

I had no idea why I said it. It must've been my sub-concious seeping through into my brain because I was just so damn tired.

"Okay," he whispered sarcastically. He clearly wasn't going to fight with me while we were both so drained of the energy.

"I love you," I said slowly as my eyelids started to droop. It was so late... I was so tired...

I forced my eyes open again. I couldn't go to sleep. Not with only Peeta left awake.

"Just go to sleep," Peeta whispered in my ear, sensing how sleepy I was.

My eyes closed again and this time, I couldn't find the strength to open them.

I awoke with a start and instantly felt guilty. I had slept while Peeta forced himself to stay awake.

I rose from my lying position and glanced at Peeta. His sleeping form made me feel a little less guilty... at least he was sleeping.

A crack in the bushes forced me to avert my attention from Peeta. I stood quietly in hopes I wouldn't wake Peeta or Rue and walked stealthily to the bush. Peeking behind, I saw a person. It was Glimmer. I expected her to jump up and try to kill me so I was surprised when she didn't move at all. She wasn't breathing either, it seemed. Glimmer was dead.

Not taking any chances, I walked over to her corpse and lightly poked at her arm. Nothing. Next, I poked her back gently. Nothing. Then I flipped over her body and was horrified at what I saw.

Tracker jacker stings. Hundreds. Thousands. All over her face, arms, legs, stomach, everywhere. She was most definitely dead.

I wondered who had killed her. The only cannons I had heard were hours ago. Maybe one went off while I was asleep...? No. Then her body would've been gone by now, up in the Capitol aircraft. Either she wasn't dead at all (very unlikely) or Snow was toying with me, making me see another dead body.

So I decided to fight back.

There were some flowers around this area. I knew they weren't poisonous from all the dangerous and safe plant training before the Games. I picked a few and lay them around her body, weaving them in and out of her hair and limbs. Even though it was barely morning, I knew everyone in Panem could see what I was doing.

When I was done, I walked away quickly as if nothing had happened. I knew by now Snow would be red with anger and that's exactly what I wanted. If I was going to die, I might as well go out with a bang.

With Peeta and Rue still asleep, I decided to go search for food and water. Peeta would be angry when he awoke, but at this point, I didn't care. I was going to die anyway.

I had spotted a couple of berries on my way to our camp. I followed the same route we had taken and picked some, placing them anywhere I could fit them. My pocket, my hands... anywhere.

When I was sure I had enough berries to last us at least a day (We didn't need much. We already had the food Rue had gotten from the cornucopia.), I went searching for a water supply. Since Haymitch hadn't sent any yet, I figured I was nearing water.

The day was getting hotter as it went on. Our suits were made to keep heat in and the cold out but now, I needed it to be the opposite.

Sure enough, a small lake was about half a mile away from camp. I filled all three of our canteens as full as I could and set back to where Peeta and Rue were sleeping.

I rushed back, partly because I wanted to check on Rue and Peeta and partly because I didn't want to run into any Careers. Luckily, when I returned, they were both still there and awake.

"Where have you been?" Peeta yelled loudly. I held up our canteens and berries in answer.

"Don't go off alone again," he demanded. I rolled my eyes.

"You feel better, Rue?" I asked the injured girl. She nodded, but even that small gesture took a toll on her. She had lost too much blood and was weak. She was hindering us immensely but I couldn't just leave her for dead.

"I could use a sip of water."

I hastily put the rim of the canteen to her lips and she drank thirstily.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"We need to head out. The career's will find us soon," I said. "Let's go."

Out of the blue, my brain automattically turned my thoughts to Peeta. How I've felt the urge to kiss him the entire time I've been in these damned Games. How I've longed for his touch, but I definitely wasn't doing that here, on National television.

As I walked behind Peeta, I couldn't help but notice how he was slightly limping. But even when he seemed so broken and hurt, he was still beautiful.

Lost in thought, I ended up running into Peeta's back. He turned around quickly. "Katniss?"

"Sorry," I muttered, trying to keep my expression solid, but I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. How couldn't I be blushing when I was caught thinking of Peeta?

"It's fine. I just thought I heard some-"

"Shh," Rue whispered. I cresed my brows together and looked at her with a questioning look.

Then I saw it. Clove's dead body.

Cato was undoubtedly going crazy now. No more Careers to help him. He would be an easy target now.

"It looks like somebody hit her in the head with something really hard," Peeta said, walking over to her corpse to evaluate her situation. "It couldn't have been too long ago, seeing as her body is still here."

I realized I hadn't filled either of them in on what else had happened when I woke up. No need to now. It would only worry Peeta and make Rue more scared than ever.

"It'll be gone soon. Let's go." I walked ahead of them both and watched as Peeta tore his eyes away from the body. Even after she had mercilessly tried to kill him, Peeta was still... Peeta. Compassionate and able to find the good in anyone, even those who have it buried so far down they seem completely evil.

Speak of the devil.

"I told you I would get you," Cato whispered from a nearby bush. No matter how stupid he sounded, I didn't underestimate him. That could get me in serious trouble.

I pulled an arrow from my back and loaded my bow. I waited, still not completely sure where Cato was hiding.

Then something I had never expected happened: I threw up.

"Katniss!" Peeta whisper-yelled. I tried my best to stop the vomit but I just couldn't quit. Peeta held my hair while I was trying to shout at him, "Cato is here! Stop worrying about me and protect yourself!" but all I got out was "...Cato..."

He let go of my hair but kept his place beside me. He drew a knife he had stored in his pocket and got in his fighting stance. Rue was beside me too, but all she was doing was standing as she was too weak to fight.

Eventually, I forced myself up and tried to settle my stomach. I held up my bow once again and aimed it as best as I could. Suddenly, I felt a knife in my back. I instantly fell and the rest i couldn't see. But I was sure someone was dead.

A/N: The end... of this chapter! All of my chapters have sucked but I feel this one especially sucked.

I FEEL SO BAD ABOUT NOT UPDATING SOONER! I said I would update every Saturday but so much has happened, like I broke my damn ankle. (Sorry. That pisses me off.) Still, that is no excuse.

Also, any CrissColfer shippers? Glee? If you are, I also have a CrissColfer fic I posted a couple days ago. Like it, read it, don't like it, I don't give a damn.

So, on that note, BYEEEE!

Love,

Kristen XOXO